The Three Marias: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Three Marias: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intertwining lives of three young women—Maria "Guta" Augusta, Maria José, and Gloria—as they navigate the challenges of adolescence and early adulthood in Brazil. Guta, the narrator, begins her journey as a shy student in a girls' boarding school, eventually stepping into the wider world as a typist in Fortaleza, where she grapples with relationships and personal loss. Maria José, Guta's devoutly religious friend, remains a steadfast support throughout their lives, while Gloria, an orphaned violinist, channels her emotional energy into her engagement with Afonso, marking significant milestones like her wedding and the birth of her son.
The analysis also introduces Jandira, a school friend with a tumultuous background who finds her footing through resilience and love. Guta's encounters with men, such as the enigmatic painter Raul and the young doctor Isaac, further complicate her emotional landscape, leading to themes of desire, disillusionment, and unexpected motherhood. The complex dynamics of friendship, love, and social expectations are central to the narrative, offering insights into the characters' struggles and aspirations. Overall, this exploration provides a nuanced look at the lives of these women against the backdrop of Brazilian society, highlighting their personal growth and the impact of their choices.
The Three Marias: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Rachel de Queiroz
First published: As três Marias, 1939 (English translation, 1963)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot: Realism
Time: The 1930's
Maria “Guta” Augusta (ow-GEWS-tah), the narrator, a student in a girls' boarding school and later a typist in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. Awkward and fearful, she is relieved to find friends during her first days at the nuns' school; she, Maria José, and Gloria share one another's hopes, enthusiasms, fantasies, and discouragements. After graduation, Guta tires of the monotony of home life, gets a job in Fortaleza, and soon moves in with Maria José. Guta is intrigued by a middle-aged bohemian painter, Raul; he paints her portrait and almost seduces her. Guta's father sends her money for a trip to Rio because she is depressed after a friend, Aluísio, commits suicide, and in Rio she meets a young Romanian doctor, Isaac, falls in love, and returns to Fortaleza pregnant. After a miscarriage and illness, she returns home to Crato, in the Cariri region, where her father, her dull and virtuous stepmother, and her younger half brothers and half sisters live.
Maria José (hoh-SEH), Guta's closest friend and the first girl to befriend her at the nuns' school. After they have left school and are working, Maria José, who teaches school and is devoutly religious, shares her room in her mother's house with Guta.
MariadaGloria, called Gloria, Guta's other close friend at the convent school and afterward. Orphaned at the age of twelve, Gloria venerated the memory of the poet-father who reared her, and her friends admire her passionate mourning and her talent as a violinist. Soon after they are graduated, she becomes engaged to Afonso, a young college graduate, and she centers her emotional energy on him. Guta and Maria José attend her wedding. The birth of Gloria's son is an important event for her two friends.
Jandira (hahn-DEE-rah), a friend of the three Marias at the school. The illegitimate daughter of a married man and a prostitute, she has been cared for and sent to school by her father's sisters. She marries a seaman during their last year at school, but the marriage is an unhappy one. Their child is almost blind, and Jandira toils as a seamstress to support him. She is left a house and money by her aunt, takes a lover, and is much happier.
Raul (rah-EWL), a middle-aged married painter who fascinates Guta and with whom she imagines herself to be in love for a while. He seems romantic and mysterious to her, and she goes with Maria José and Aluísio to his studio and agrees to model for a portrait. Alternately repelled and attracted, Guta is almost seduced by him but realizes just in time that she does not want to be sexually involved with Raul. Guta is very disillusioned when she sees him as he really is.
Aluísio (ah-lew-EE-see-oh), an emotional young student, a friend of Guta and Maria José who commits suicide and leaves a letter in which he alludes to an unhappy love affair. Everyone assumes that his passion was for Guta. She visits him before he dies and is much distressed, although she knows that his death is not really her fault.
Isaac, a young Romanian Jewish immigrant whom Guta meets at the boardinghouse where she stays when she visits Rio. He is studying to validate his medical diploma and risks being deported if he fails the examination. He talks to Guta about Romania, plays records for her, and encourages her to tell him about her home and memories. She falls in love with him, and they become lovers just before Guta must return to her job in Fortaleza. She never tells him that she is pregnant with his child, and he does not speak to her of plans for a future together, although he writes letters to her.